What Which? does

Which? is a UK non-profit consumer advocacy and product testing organization founded in 1957 and headquartered in London, employing 501–1,000 staff. It serves approximately 1.4 million members by purchasing consumer products directly and independently testing them in laboratories across categories including appliances (washing machines, tumble dryers, ovens, air fryers), electronics (TVs, mobile phones), home goods (mattresses, child car seats), and services (supermarkets, broadband, financial products). Results are published as Best Buy, Eco Buy, Great Value, and Don't Buy recommendations, supported by annual large-sample consumer satisfaction surveys (e.g., 3,552 supermarket shoppers, 6,665 current account holders) and investigative journalism into issues such as dangerous online products, subscription traps, AI-generated content, and data privacy.

Revenue is generated primarily through a subscription membership priced at £9.99/month (with promotional annual offers including 50% off plus a £20 John Lewis voucher), supplemented by affiliate commissions when members click through to retailers such as Currys, Argos, John Lewis, and AO. Ancillary member services — Which? Wills, Which? Legal Service, Which? Trusted Traders directory, broadband comparison, and power of attorney — extend monetization per member. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via which.co.uk, email newsletters, and earned media coverage in major UK outlets.

Beyond publishing, Which? operates an aggressive regulatory litigation and advocacy function. Recent actions include a £3 billion Competition Appeal Tribunal class action against Apple on behalf of ~40 million UK iCloud users (trial set for October 2028), an FCA super-complaint against the home and travel insurance industry, a CMA complaint against Tesco over unit pricing, and a partnership with the Office for Product Safety and Standards on a reverse image search tool identifying nearly 800 dangerous products on online marketplaces. The organization also petitioned the Department for Business and Trade with 150,000 signatories for stronger marketplace regulation. A 2025–2026 leadership appointment (Group People Director Hannah Linforth) is supporting a refresh of the organization's 2030 strategy.

Name

Which?

Website

https://which.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Which? is a UK non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1957 that independently tests products, publishes reviews, and pursues regulatory litigation on behalf of approximately 1.4 million paying members, funded through subscriptions and affiliate commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Which? generates primary revenue through membership subscriptions offering digital access to reviews, testing results, and expert advice. Annual and monthly subscription tiers provide full access to product recommendations and consumer guidance.
2. Affiliate Commerce: Which? earns affiliate commissions when readers click retailer links and make purchases. This is disclosed on product review pages where third-party cookies track onward journeys to enable commission tracking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Which? conducts independent laboratory testing and publishes expert reviews of consumer products across categories including appliances, electronics, home goods, and financial services. The organization operates a subscription-based membership platform that provides UK consumers with Best Buy recommendations, Don't Buy warnings, price comparisons, and consumer advocacy through investigative journalism and class-action lawsuits. Complementary paid services include will writing, legal advice, vetted tradesperson directories, and broadband comparison tools.

Product overview

Which? is a UK consumer advocacy organization offering a comprehensive product review and comparison platform. The core offering consists of independent lab-tested product reviews across major consumer categories including appliances (washing machines, tumble dryers, ovens), electronics (TVs, mobile phones), home goods (mattresses, child car seats), and retail services (supermarket comparisons). The company operates on a subscription membership model, supplemented by complementary services including will writing, legal advice, trusted trader recommendations, and broadband comparison tools. The portfolio is organized around consumer buying guides, Best Buy/Eco Buy/Don't Buy recommendation badges, and price comparison tools, designed to help UK consumers make informed purchasing decisions across both physical products and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Which? Membership Subscription membership providing UK consumers with full digital access to expert product reviews, Best Buy and Don't Buy recommendations, price comparisons, member newsletters, and the Which? app. Annual subscription £9.99/month equivalent with promotional offers available.
• Washing Machine Reviews Independent laboratory testing and reviews of washing machines, evaluating cleaning performance, rinsing, spin drying, energy efficiency, ease of use, and running costs. Includes Best Buy, Eco Buy, and Don't Buy recommendations.
• TV Reviews Comprehensive testing and reviews of televisions, assessing picture quality, sound performance, ease of use, and smart features. Best Buy recommendations cover OLED, QLED, and LCD models.
• Tumble Dryer Reviews Tests and reviews of tumble dryers covering drying effectiveness, energy efficiency, noise levels, and ease of use. Includes recommendations for heat pump, condenser, and vented models.
• Built-in Oven Reviews Expert reviews of built-in ovens testing baking and roasting performance, heat distribution, cleaning functions, and energy efficiency across single, double, and compact models.
• Air Fryer Reviews Independent testing of air fryers for cooking performance, energy efficiency, and ease of use, with Best Buy recommendations for consumers seeking efficient cooking appliances.
• Mobile Phone Reviews Expert reviews and buying advice for mobile phones, evaluating camera quality, battery life, performance, and value for money across brands.
• Mattress Reviews Independent testing and reviews of mattresses for comfort, support, durability, and value, helping consumers find options for different sleep preferences and budgets.
• Child Car Seat Reviews Safety-focused reviews and buying guides for child car seats, testing crash performance, ease of installation, and comfort for children of different ages.
• Supermarket Comparisons Annual customer satisfaction surveys and price comparisons across UK supermarkets including M&S, Aldi, Tesco, Lidl, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Iceland, Asda, and Morrisons, identifying Which? Recommended Providers.
• Which? Wills Online will-writing service allowing Which? members to create legally valid wills with expert guidance and templates.
• Which? Trusted Traders Directory of vetted and recommended tradespeople for home improvements, repairs, and installations, providing consumers with reliable professionals.
• Which? Legal Service Legal advice and assistance services for consumer-related legal matters available to Which? members.
• Which? Broadband Comparison Comparison tool for finding and comparing broadband packages and providers across the UK market.

Quantifiable outcome

• £3 billion potential compensation for 40 million UK consumers in Apple iCloud lawsuit
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GoogleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhich? published a tutorial on converting old Windows laptops into Chromebooks using Google's free ChromeOS Flex operating system, as part of coverage helping consumers transition from Windows 10 as support ends.
• Back MarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRefurbished electronics marketplace Back Market partnered with Google to distribute ChromeOS Flex on a $3 reusable USB stick, mentioned in Which? consumer guidance content.
• UK Department for Business and TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhich? presented a petition with 150,000 signatories to the UK Department for Business and Trade calling for stronger regulation of online marketplaces and legal accountability for unsafe products.
• Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhich? developed a reverse image search tool identifying nearly 800 dangerous products matching items flagged as unsafe by the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) for sale on online marketplaces.
• Italy (EU Digital Markets Act)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItaly launched a separate antitrust probe into Apple's iCloud dominance under the EU's Digital Markets Act, coordinated with the UK regulatory action brought by Which?.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Consumer Reports: US non-profit consumer advocacy organization that conducts independent product testing, publishes reviews, and operates a subscription model (print + digital). Direct functional equivalent to Which? in the UK, with similar methodology (purchases own samples, refuses free units, scoring system, investigative journalism) and a comparable mission of consumer empowerment.
• MoneySavingExpert: UK-based consumer finance advice platform founded by Martin Lewis offering free product comparisons, money-saving guides, and consumer rights content. Directly comparable to Which? in target audience (UK consumers), content-led engagement model, and advocacy posture on issues like financial regulation and energy pricing.
• Stiftung Warentest: German consumer testing foundation that performs independent product testing and publishes reviews under the 'test' brand. Closest international functional equivalent to Which? with nearly identical mission, methodology (independent lab testing), and non-profit funding model.
• CHOICE: Australian consumer advocacy organization conducting independent product testing, publishing reviews, and running subscription membership. Functional counterpart to Which? in Australia with similar testing methodology, scoring systems, and consumer rights campaigns.

Broad incumbents

• J.D. Power: Established consumer research firm producing widely-cited quality and satisfaction ratings, primarily serving automotive and financial services industries. Comparable in being a survey/research-driven consumer ratings authority with brand recognition, though its B2B focus differs from Which?'s direct-to-consumer subscription model.
• Moneysupermarket: UK price comparison platform operating across financial services, insurance, energy, and home services with an advertising/affiliate revenue model. Comparable in UK consumer comparison market; mentioned in source as recent employer of Which?'s new Group People Director.
• Good Housekeeping Institute: The testing arm of Hearst's Good Housekeeping magazine in the US, operates independent product labs issuing the Good Housekeeping Seal. Comparable methodology (lab testing, scoring, endorsement seal) though anchored to a magazine/publisher rather than a subscription membership model.

Emerging players

• Trustpilot: Global consumer review platform aggregating user-generated reviews of businesses and products. Comparable in serving as a consumer trust signal and influencing purchasing decisions; differs in relying on crowdsourced reviews rather than independent lab testing.

Regional players

• uSwitch: UK price comparison site focused on energy, broadband, and financial services, owned by RVU. Operates in an adjacent sub-segment of UK comparison with affiliate revenue model similar to Which?'s distribution approach.
• GoCompare: UK price comparison platform primarily for insurance and financial products with affiliate commission revenue model. Operates in same UK market with consumer comparison services though narrower vertical focus than Which?.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WhichUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/whichuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/17837

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Which?